Chilland Ford

Chilland Ford is a house probably built in the late 18th to early 19th century, altered in the 19th century and extended in the 20th century.

The main house is constructed of brick laid in Flemish bond, now painted over but reportedly featuring burnt headers for decorative effect. Later extensions are also in brick. The roof structure is softwood, likely from the 20th century but incorporating some earlier timbers, with a clay tile roof covering of various periods. Windows have been variously reglazed in the 20th century, in both timber and Crittall-style frames.

The building was originally constructed as a two-bay cottage facing the River Itchen, with an outshut to the rear (north). It is two storeys tall. The ground floor of the original house contains a living room and dining room in its two bays, with the kitchen now located in the 1930s former generator house to the east, and a study in the 1950s western extension. The first floor, accessed by a staircase within the 19th-century northern extension, contains four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The principal elevation faces south toward the River Itchen. The oldest part of the building forms the central two-bay section. Four sets of casement windows (two at each floor) are positioned symmetrically on either side of a central 6-flush-panel door in a solid segmental-headed frame, set within a gabled brick porch. Chimney stacks to the east and west rise above the roof, marking the extents of the original house. The ground-floor windows of the front elevation have segmental-headed gauged brick heads above 3-light leaded casements; the first-floor windows comprise similar 3-light leaded casements set below flat brick-fronted lintels. Above the eastern ground-floor window is a cross-shaped wall-tie connected internally through to the original rear wall. A brick dentil cornice runs the length of both north and south elevations.

The rear of the main house comprises two two-storey north-facing brick-built bays below a pair of hipped roofs separated by a lead-lined valley gutter. These contain four 2-light leaded casement windows (two at ground floor, two at first floor), along with centrally positioned single-light leaded casements to the first-floor north and east elevations and the ground-floor west elevation. Window heads follow the pattern of those on the front elevation. The main roof is clay-tiled, and the chimney stacks are topped by four terracotta chimney pots (two per stack).

To the east is the former generator house, positioned south of the original house and now adjoined by a single-storey pitched-roof passage. Originally single-storey, it was extended upwards around 1988 to create additional rooms within the roof space, with small square lead-cheeked dormers containing leaded Crittall-style casement windows (two dormers to the eastern roof slope, one to the southern). The ground-floor fenestration comprises tall Crittall-style casement windows: one to the north elevation and two each to the east and south elevations, with a matching door on the west elevation providing access to the front garden. A solid timber door in the north provides access to the rear garden through a lobby. A brick dentil cornice similar to that of the main house has been incorporated as part of the first-floor extension.

The western part of the building was altered in the late 20th century with a two-storey extension continuing beyond the western chimney stack. The extension has been carefully toothed into the older brickwork to appear seamless and continues the brick dentil cornice the full length of the front elevation. At ground floor, the extension projects forward of the original building line under a flat roof enclosed by a parapet; to the rear is a flat roof at first-floor level. Fenestration comprises timber-framed leaded casement windows to the east and south elevations at ground floor and to the south and west elevations at first floor.

Internally, the front door leads into the original two-bay section, divided by an off-centre north-south partition wall, likely in its original position separating the kitchen from the parlour. At the gable ends of each room are chimney stacks, though the original fireplaces have been lost. To the southern side of the western fireplace is a double-height fitted cupboard with two two-panel doors, one above the other, likely original. Positioned centrally within each room is a large exposed north-south chamfered and stopped oak beam supporting the floor above. Most other joinery dates from the late 20th century.

To the side of the eastern chimney stack, a passageway leads through to the kitchen in the former generator house, and beyond a lobby with a solid timber 5-panel door to the rear garden. To the west, a doorway leads through to the study in the late 20th-century extension.

First-floor access is by a later winding staircase within the former outshut, positioned immediately opposite the front door. First-floor rooms are accessed from an east-west landing. Most joinery on this floor dates from the late 20th century.

An adjoining conservatory of around 1997 is not of special interest and is excluded from the listing.